Cities now blueprinting tomorrow’s mobility

The study “What Cities Want”, completed by the Technical University of Munich and MAN, maps strategies for modern city planning around the world – innovative traffic solutions for the metropolises of the future.

Cities are attracting more people than ever. By 2050, according to the United Nations, the urban population will grow by 85 percent to 6.3 billion people. Over two-thirds of humanity will then live in cities. In "What Cities Want" – a current study by the Technical University of Munich commissioned by MAN – 15 international cities provide information on how they want to more attractively design their urban traffic in the future.

The cities of Ahmedabad, Beirut, Bogota, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, Lyon, Melbourne, Munich, St. Petersburg, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore show the opportunities that go hand in hand with urbanization. Even today, these "Global Cities" are creating the preconditions for efficient, accessible and ecological mobility. For local citizens and companies, the accessibility and attractiveness of cities as well as their quality of life is of primary importance.

The expansion of public transportation, however, has the highest priority. This includes more public transport lines that run more often as well as have more reliable service. By doing this, cities are responding to the demands of their citizens, for whom the quality of public transportation is just as important as the length of travel time, when they have to choose a means of travel.

"We want people to use public transportation. Today's ticketing and tariff systems, however, still make this difficult," explains Anders Nielsen, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus AG and a Member of the Management Board of MAN SE. This is why cities are not only investing in public transportation infrastructures but increasingly in user-friendly information and communication systems as well.

Integrated mobility plans, combined transport, ambitious environmental goals as well as right of way for alternative drive systems: The study provides information on numerous innovative solutions and gives an overview of the diverse strategies for sustainable mobility in cities.